


Thirty Minutes of Ferdinand

by Cyrrus



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Awkwardness, Comedy, F/F, Female My Unit | Byleth, Ferdinand is an idiot, Forbidden Love, Light Dom/sub, No Spoilers, Pre-Time Skip, Teacher-Student Relationship, Unresolved Sexual Tension, but a loveable one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-01 00:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyrrus/pseuds/Cyrrus
Summary: "Five minutes had passed, three hundred moments of passion and fire that more than rewarded their patience. Byleth was all too aware of her back pressed against the wall behind the dorm complex, and Edelgard on her tip toes to gaze down on her. Each small touch was enough to send shivers through her body.Thenhearrived."Ferdinand interrupts a tryst in a way only he can--with bravado and the awareness of a rusted lance.





	Thirty Minutes of Ferdinand

One week, six days, and eight hours of agonizing patience had lead to this opportunity. Byleth counted how much time had passed since her and Edelgard could last spend their moments together without arousing suspicion. A teacher and a student would make for a scandal, and the latter's status within the empire would fuel tabloids for a lifetime or more.

Thirty minutes. That's all the two women had before fate itself returned from his lunch break and strove to keep the two of them away from each other. Fate often came in the form of Hubert making death threats to Byleth for being alone with Edelgard. Byleth would respond by informing him that she was already dead inside.

Five of those minutes had passed, three hundred moments of passion and fire that more than rewarded their patience. Byleth was all too aware of her back pressed against the wall behind the dorm complex, her student on her tip toes to lock lips. Each small touch was enough to send shivers down her body.

Then _he_ arrived.

"Ah, professor! And Edelgard. What perfect timing, I needed to speak to both of you."

They'd separated by the first word with matching stares of panic and frustration. Both shot through Ferdinand's skull, yet his typical grin adorned his face. Not a single shred of understanding showed on his features. Somehow, he hadn't noticed the passionate love affair, nor the suggestive position the two stood in mere moments ago, nor even the knee that was pressed against the other's crotch to draw out whispered pleads. His eyes were as empty as his head. It came as a surprise to neither of the two women.

"Ferdinand, this really isn't an ideal time--"

"I assure you, it is! I have a proposition. No, a challenge. To you, Edelgard, heiress to the Empire, I intend to prove my superiority. I have thought of a duel befitting ones such as us. Professor will serve as a mediator and witness."

"No. No I will not."

Some would say Ferdinand is stubborn. That isn't true. He's too dense to understand what he doesn't want to hear. His classmates consider it a curse. At least one has risen from her seat and left the room as soon as he said hello to her. Of course, Ferdinand continued to smile and kept talking anyway.

Just as he's doing now.

"This duel will take place in four parts. First, we will spar with our weapons of choice. I must warn you, I have been training extensively with the axe just to defeat you with your own preferred armament. I couldn't think of a method to prove my worth more fitting than that. Second, we will take to the forest where we will spent the entire morning and evening hunting--"

His mouth keeps moving. The voice that comes out takes hold of all that is merciful and strangles it to death. By the goddess's name, _he won't stop talking._

Byleth and Edelgard share a look. Desperation flashes from one to another. Time is running out. Byleth doubts even invoking Sothis' power could overcome the unrelenting plague that is Ferdinand von Aegir.

From the pit of despair welling inside her, anger rises. Byleth's will grows resolute. A sheer force of will surges through her body as an all too familiar feeling takes hold--she has a target. Monastery or not, this is now her battlefield. The enemy has her and her student cornered. None of her students have ever tasted defeat. That will not change today.

She reaches for the Sword of the Creator, then curses under her breath as she grasps thin air. She doesn't carry it with her on Garreg Mach grounds. No, this fight will have to be one of wits. It poses an interesting challenge. How are you supposed to outwit someone who has none to begin with?

"--then we will gather every student, knight, and noble at the academy to watch as we joust upon the bridge. You will have suffered multiple consecutive loses by then, but I know you, Edelgard. You'll fight for your dignity even when the odds are insurmountable. It will make my final victory that much sweeter--"

"Ferdinand." Byleth steps forward. Her arms are crossed, her expression matching that of a war veteran who just recovered from a PTSD attack in the middle of the night. "I have a task for you. Only you can do it. Not even _Edelgard_ can." Her eyes lock with Edelgard's briefly, to which she nods. In times of crisis, pride must be sacrificed.

"Not even Edelgard? Well! I can hardly say no, now can I? The duel must wait. As a noble, I'm obligated to take each and every opportunity to prove my superiority to--"

"Your task is to convince Hubert to take the day off."

Beside her, Edelgard gasps. Impossible. It wasn't mere exaggeration. Byleth spoke the truth about a task she could never hope to accomplish. But if this orange-haired brainlet can pull it off...

Byleth must repress the urge to let her lips curl into a smug expression. Two birds, one arrow. She considers that the metaphor isn't quite as effective when Petra pulls off such a feat each training session, but the thought is tossed aside.

"Ah, I can see how that would pose a challenge. Hubert's devotion to her is unrivaled, possibly obsessive," he says without an ounce of self awareness. "I can count the amount of times the monastery physician has requested to analyze his mental state. I, however, am more than ready to accomplish such a--"

Confirmation. That's all she needs. She slaps her palm over his mouth and orders him to leave. Now. Byleth figures she's used up a year's worth of prayers to the goddess when he actually does so with only one more boast about his status and capability.

Then he's gone. He's truly, finally gone. Byleth looks to the ground with a sigh. Perhaps a student trade is in order. The Golden Deer might take him. Claude loves weird people.

"I think that killed the mood," she says aloud.

Edelgard says nothing. Instead, her actions form her reply. Each of her hands find their way onto Byleth's shoulders and push her back to where she once was, pinned against the wall; she's caught off guard and she doesn't muster any resistance. As two pairs of blue eyes meet each other, one with surprise and the other smoldering, Byleth shivers. Alright. Maybe the mood has returned after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
